MELISSA SHIN
Shin Shin Architecture
SAY IT LOUD - CALIFORNIA Exhibitor
California Based Designer
Who or what inspires you professionally?
I am inspired by those who are actively addressing the exploitive and unsustainable aspects of the profession. They have inspired me to break a lot of my own bad work habits and refocus on bringing more efficiency and transparency to my practice.
MELISSA SHIN
Bio:
Melissa Shin AIA, is the founding principal of Shin Shin Architecture, an award-winning female and minority-owned architecture and research practice based in Los Angeles and Detroit. Under Melissa’s leadership, Shin Shin received the 2022 AIA LA Emerging Practice Award for innovative design achievements, community service, and service to the profession. She received her M.Arch from Yale University and two Bachelors of Science degrees in Theoretical Mathematics and Visual Arts from MIT.
How did you first learn about architecture and when did you decide that built environment profession was an area of interest for you?
I first learned about architecture in college when I was studying math and enrolled in an intro studio course to try something new. I fell in love with the camaraderie of studio culture and the hands-on aspect of design and ended up double majoring.
What do you do?
I’m an architect, small business owner, and teacher. My growing firm designs and executes projects of all scales and typologies and in that sense, I’m also a student - constantly learning everyday from Quickbooks to door hinge details to AI.
What excites you in the work you do?
Solving problems - in design, in the field, or addressing larger community/global issues. When I first transitioned from math to architecture they felt like opposite worlds, but today I see them as one, both underscored by the act of problem solving.
Who or what inspires you professionally?
I am inspired by those who are actively addressing the exploitive and unsustainable aspects of the profession. They have inspired me to break a lot of my own bad work habits and refocus on bringing more efficiency and transparency to my practice.
What is your proudest professional accomplishment or achievement?
My proudest accomplishment is receiving the 2022 AIALA Emerging Practice Award. It recognizes notable achievements in design, community service, education, and service to the profession - fundamentals that represent the architect I aspire to be.
Featured Project Name:
Mouse House + ADU
Featured Project Location:
Los Angeles, CA
Featured Project Completion Date:
2021
Role in Featured Project:
Architect
Featured Project Description:
One house, split in two - a gut renovation and second story addition to a historic 1923 single family bungalow. To effectively split the home and maintain privacy for the cohabitants, a series of playful niches are carved out of the original monolithic massing to create functional, private outdoor “rooms”. These spaces take advantage of the LA climate through passive design strategies that allow one to inhabit semi-conditioned spaces nearly year round.
Photography Credit:
Eric Staudenmaier
Featured Project Name:
Wide Rainbow Libraries
Featured Project Location:
Inglewood, CA
Featured Project Completion Date:
September 2022
Role in Featured Project:
Architect & Designer
Featured Project Description:
A collaboration with non-profit “Wide Rainbow” to create mobile libraries for public schools with limited pandemic recovery programs in Inglewood, Detroit, and the Bronx. Each custom library of 1000 books promotes literature that is inclusive of the populations served, curated by Asmaa Walton of the Black Art Library. The modular system uses the language of design to embody pure joy: when combined, the vibrantly painted panels allude to ‘emoticons’ of laughter, hope, and friendship.
